Philadelphia-Bucks-Chester County PA Archives History .....An Act For The Better Enabling Divers Inhabintants Of The Province Of Pensylvania To Hold Lands And To Invest Them With The Privileges Of Natural-Born Subjects Of The Said Province February 6, 1731 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/pa/pafiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Earl Hoffman hoffmans@ix.netcom.com February 4, 2008, 5:25 pm THE Statues at Large of PENNSYLVANIA from 1682 to 1801 Volume IV 1724 to 1744 1897 (pages 219-222) Page 219 CHAPTER CCCXXIV ------- AN ACT FOR THE BETTER ENABLING DIVERS INHABITANTS OF THE PROVINCE OF PENNSYLVANIA TO HOLD LANDS, AND TO INVEST THEM WITH THE PRIVILEGES OF NATURAL-BORN SUBJECTS OF THE SAID PROVINCE. Whereas by the encouragement given by the Honorable Wil- liam Penn, Esquire, late proprietary and governor of the prov- ince of Pennsylvania, and by the permission of his late Majesty, King George the First of blessed memory, and his predecessors, Kings and Queens of England, &c., divers Protestants who were subjects to the Emperor of Germany, a prince in amity with the Crown of Great Britain, transported themselves and estates into the province of Pennsylvania, and since they came hither have contributed to the enlargement of the British Em- pire, and have always behaved themselves religiously and peaceably, and have paid a due regard and obedience to the laws and government of this province. And whereas many of the said persons, to wit, Peter Wentz, Martin Kolb, Dielman Kolb, Jacob Kolb, Michael Ziegler, Paul Fried, Johannes Fried, Hans Datweiller, Valantine Hunsucker, Jacob Scheimer, Johannes Kocken, George Markl, Hub- bard Gassell, Johannes Leseber, Jacob Herman, Gerhard Clem- ents, Christopher Zimmerman, Jacob Metts, Bastian Smit, Mathias Gemelin, Ulrick Mayer, Christian Bowman, Abraham Schwaartz, Hermanus Kuster, John Joder, John Joder, Junior; Joest Joder, Philip Keilwein, Hans Hoch, Peter Endreas, John Dieterich Kreiner, Peter Balio, Abraham Levand, Isaac Lev- and, Nicholas Lescher, David Koaffman, Jean Bartolett, Hans Martin Gerich, Martin Schenkel, Jonathan Herbein, John Bow- man, Arnold Huffnagle, Johannes Langenecker, Johannes Buckwalter, Johannes Eckstein, Isaac Vansintern, Johannes Dewalt End, Johannes George Bentzel, Blasius Daniel Macki- Page 220 ett, Mathias Adams Hogermoed, Hans Rup. Lorence Belitz. Johann Nicholas Kressman, Christopher Funk, John Joseph Schrack, Philip Schrack, Johannes Shaffer, Jacob Seltzer, George Rowse, George Jager, Samuel Gouldin, Christopher Gouldin, Henry Pennebecker, Hans Sigfried, Peter Trexler, Henry Schaut, Jacob Hettlestein, Daniel Langenecker, Hans Jacob Bechtley, Melchor Hoch, Jacob Hoch, George Hollen- baik, John Jacob Schrack, John George Reif, John George Reif, Junior; Jacob Reif, Conrad Reif, Peter Reif, Antonius Hil- man, Henry Antis, Gerhard Peters, John Isaac Klein, Johannes Mayer, Samuel Hoch, John Snyder, George Bechtley, Joest Hendrick Zaatzmentzhoussen, all of Philadelphia county; Mar- cus Huhl, John Keller, Jacob Kasdrop, Johan Baker, Abra- ham Kinking, of the city of Philadelphia; Jacob Klemmer, Jacob Souder, Philip Keisinger, George Bachman, John Driestle, of the county of Bucks; Christian Mary, Johannes Roth, Casper Acker and Jacob Acker, of the county of Chester, in demonstration of their affection and zeal for his present Ma- jesty’s person and government, qualified themselves by taking the qualification and subscribing the declaration directed to be taken and subscribed by the several acts of Parliament made for the security of His Majesty’s person and government and for preventing the dangers which may happen by Popish reca- sants, &c., and thereupon have humbly signified to the gov- ernor and the representatives of the freemen of this province in general assembly met that they have purchased and do hold lands of the proprietary and others His Majesty’s subjects within this province, and have likewise represented their great desire of being made partakers of those privileges which the natural-born subjects of Great Britain do enjoy within this province; and it being just and reasonable that those persons who have bona fide purchased lands and who have given such testimony of their affection and obedience to the Crown of Great Britain should as well be secured in the enjoyment of their estates as encouraged in their laudable affection to and zeal for the English Constitution: [Section I.] Be it enacted by Honorable Patrick Gordon, Esquire, Lieutenant Governor of the Province of Pennsylvania, Page 221 &c., by and with the advice and consent of the representatives of the freemen of the said Province in General Assembly met, and by the authority of the same, That Peter Wentz, Martin Kolb, Dielman Kolb, Jacob Kolb, Michael Ziegler, Paul Fried, Johan- nes Fried, Hans Datweiller, Valantine Hunsucker, Jacob Schei- mer, Johannes Koocken, George Markl, Hubbard Gassell, Jo- hannes Leseber, Jacob Herman, Gerhard Clements, Christopher Zimmerman, Jacob Metts, Bastian Smit, Mathias Gemelin, Ulrick Mayer, Christian Bowman, Abraham Schwaartz, Her- manus Kuster, John Joder, John Joder, Junior; Joest Joder, Philip Keilwein, Hans Hoch, Peter Endreas, John Dietrich Kreiner, Peter Balio, Abraham Levand, Isaac Levand, Nicholas Lescher, David Kouffman, Jean Bartolett, Hans Martin Gerich, Martin Schenkell, Jonathan Herbein, John Bowman, Arnold Huffnagle, Johannes Langenecker, Johannes Buckwalter, Jo- hannes Eckstein, Isaac Vansintern, Johannes Dewalt End, Jo- hannes George Bentzel, Blasius Daniel Mackiett, Mathias Adams Hogermoed, Hans Rup. Lorence Belitz. Johan Nicho- las Kressman, Christopher Funk, John Joseph Schrack, Philip Schrack, Johannes Shaffer, Jacob Seltzer, George Rowse, George Jager, Samuel Gouldin, Christopher Gouldin, Henry Pennebecker, Hans Sigfried, Peter Trexler, Henry Schaut, Jacob Hottlestein, Daniel Langenecker, Hans Jacob Bechtley, Melcher Hoch, Jacob Hoch, George Hollenbaik, John Jacob Schrack, John George Reif, John George Reif, Junion; Jacob Reif, Conrad Reif, Peter Reif, Antonius Hilman, Henry Antis, Gerhard Peters, John Isaac Klein, Johannes Mayer, Samuel Hoch, John Snyder, George Bechtley, Joest Hendrick Zaatz- mentzhoussen, all of Philadelphia county; Marcus Huhl, John Keller, Jacob Kasdrop, Johan Baker, Abraham Kinking, of the city of Philadelphia; Jacob Klemmer, Jacob Souder, Philip Keisinger, George Bachman, John Driestle, of the county of Bucks; Christian Mary, Johannes Roth, Casper Acker and Jacob Acker, of the county of Chester, be and shall be to all intents and purposes deemed, taken and esteemed His Majesty’s natural-born subjects of this province of Pennsylvania, as if they and each of them had been born within said province; and shall and may, and every of them shall and may, within Page 222 this province, take, receive, enjoy and be entitled to all rights, privileges and advantages of natural-born subjects as fully to all intents, constructions and purposes whatsoever as any of His Majesty’s natural-born subjects of this province can, do or ought to enjoy by virtue of their being His Majesty’s natural-born subjects of His Majesty’s said province of Penn- sylvania. Passed February 6, 1730-31. Apparently never considered by the Crown, but allowed to become a law by lapse of time, in accord- ance with the proprietary charter. See Volume III, Appendix V, Section I, and the Acts of Assembly passed February 3, 1742-43, Chapter 359; June 20, 1759, Chapter 445; (the Constitution of 1776, Plan of Government, Section XLII;) June 13, 1777, Chapter 756; August 31, 1778, Chapter 803; March 4, 1786, Chapter 1206; Feb- ruary 11, 1789, Chapter 1387. Additional Comments: Transcription of original that retains the formating and spelling inconsistencies. About 100 names are included as twice recorded. This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/pafiles/ File size: 8.1 Kb This file is located at http://files.usgwarchives.net/pa/philadelphia/history/local/acttoholdland1731.txt